Brake-equalizing mechanism



May 24, 1927.

1,629,647 A. F. ANDERSON B'RAKE QUALIZING MECHANISM n l. r n.

/N VENTO/ ALezRr E ANDERSON A TTORNEY May 24,- 1927.

A. F. ANDERSON BRAKE EQUALI ZING MECHANISM Filed May 4, 1925 2 sheets-sheet 2 ',em /$7 A sin 9 wc# INVENTOR.

ALBERT F. ANDERSON A TTORNE Y.

Patented May 24, .1927, i'

ALBERT F. ANDERSON, or rAsAnnNA, CALIFORNIA.

BRAKE-EQUALIZING MECHANISM.

l application ia Ymay 4,

This invention relates more specifically7 to @automobile braking mechanisms.

An important object. .of the invention is to provide a simple mechanism that may be 4readily connected t-o the wheel brake mechanisms of automobiles to equalize the pull .exerted on lthe brake bands du-iing'a braking operation.

A further object. is to yprovide a brake equalizing mechanism that is ot simple .conn struction, easy o' operation. and which ma y be readily applied to existing autovehicle braking mechanism without substantially changing their construction.

A still further object is to provide a brake equalizing mechanism in which the equalizing .operation occurs prior to the application o'lfithe vbrake bands. n l

rllhis disclosure is .to be regarded as descriptive only and not as restrictive or lim itive of the invention, of which obviously an embodiment may be constructed including many. minor modifications'without departing from the general scope herein indicated and hereinafter claimed. l

The above and other objects .are accomplished by means 'of the .mechanism de-` scribed herein, reference drawings hereunto annexed, in which: v Fig. 1 is .a plan view Otan automobile i'raine in dotted lines, showing thev brake y.equalizing mechanism in tull lines appl.ied, to .the braking mechanism. Y'

Fig. 2 is a plan view partly in section ofv the brake eqiiializer. y n l Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the brake equalizer taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on line 4-4 of 2.

F ig. 5 is another torni of brake @equalizer showing the method ofconnecting the same directly to a pair .of hand brakes,

Fig. 6 -is a plan view partly in .section `of the brake equalizer showing anoth'ei` form of brake rod connections.

Fig. .7 is a view `similar Yto the above, showing-still 4another form ot brake rod .conneet-ions.

Fig. `8 is a longitudinal section Vof the brake equalizer .taken on 'li-ne 8-8 .ot 7.

In automobile braking` -systemsof thetype threaded ,nipple in which a single pedal' is used for operating simultaneously the rear vband brakes, the brake nods `are 'frequently thrown out of adjustment ydue to the vibration of .the vehicle, and as a consequence the brake band 'linings being had to they .1925. `Serial No, 27,708.

.become so unequally worn as to seriously .alfect an efficient braking action when power'is applied thereto. Frequently when suoli a condition arises the braking power is applied to only a single drum with the result that when .a vehicle is traversing" a slippery roadway, dangerous skiddinpj7 ot- .tentimes results; Moreover, when the brakes of a vehicle are uiiequally applied, the strain imposed on .the single wheel usually results in uneven wear ot the pneumatic tir-es, causingV a loosening of the bolts, nuts, rivets, and generally affecting the entire mechanism.

By means of the herein described braking `n'iechanism the .above recited disadvantages otautovehicle braking systems are obviated, .the braking torce being at all rtimes equally .distributed to both band brakes on an operation.

B rie'liy the equalizing mechanism consists .oit a U-shaped member provided with a ball racewayin which a plurality of steel balls `are disposed, the space occupied -by the 'balls being less than the length of the raceway in order to provide space for their movement on -an .equalizing movement of the braking areprovided for suspending'the weight of the equalizer from the body ot" the vehicle, providing at. the same time for its movement when the brakes are operated.

In the drawings10 designates the frame of an auto vehicle, shown in Fig. 1 in dot# ted lines, of usual construction, consisting of channelled side beams 11, 12, a rear axle 13, and front axle 14, 'having vehicle wheels 15, secured to their spindles. The rear wheels .are providedon their inner faces with brake drums 16, and externally expanding brake bands being operatively connected thereto, .all ofthe above describedy mechanisms being of usual .'form vand connected in the usual manner.

The brakeequalizing mechanism preterably consists ot a pair or' cast metal members 20, 21, having angular oppositely disposed ends 22, 23, secured together by a 24. Each member is formed in two parts 25, 26, having longitudinally extending side flanges 27, that are secured together by means of screws 28. Members '25 kare provided with ball raceways 29 that extend Atrom their` closed ends 30 to the ends oit the nipple 2a, thus forming a raceway of U-shaped coniiguration. Disposed in the raceways 29 are a plurality ot steel balls 3l, the length ot the row ot balls when assembled being considerably less than the length of the raceways in order to provide for an equalizing movement as will be described further on.

The upper' members 2G ot the equalizer arey provided on their under contacting itaces at their angular ends with grooves 35, semicircular in cross section, and deeper grooves 3G in their straight portions. Members Q6 are also provided with cylindrical bores 3T, on their angular `ends that communicate with the grooves 50, the trout sections 3S ot the brake rods passing` therethrough, their ends being turned downwardly to form hooks 39 that engage the end balls 40, al, in the raceways. The sections 3S and lot the brake rods are connected together by turnbuckles 43. By means ofi these turnbuckles the brake mechanism may be quickly adjusted, or it the brake pedal has too much play eitherl one ot the turnbuckles may be adjusted to take up the play, the equalizing mechanism adequately taking care ot any inequalities ot adjustment. rI`he vtree ends ot the brake rod sections are pivotally attached to levers, secured to the oppositely disposed ends ot a pair of rock shafts 46 that are in turn connected to the brake bands in the usual manner. Members 2G at their torward straight ends are provided with bores i7 for the reception ot the threaded ends ot the rear section 48, ot the forward brake rods, nuts holding the sections in rigid relation to the members 26. The torward ends ot rod sections d8 are forked, and pivotally attached thereto are the forward rod Sections 50, l, the tree ends of the sections being` pivotally attached to levers secured to either end ot a rock shaft 53, mounted in bearings secured to the vehicle body in the usual manner. One end ot rock shaft 53 is provided with an additional lever 54, to which a pull rod 55 leading to the brake pedal 56 is pivotally secured.

In order that the weight of the equalizer mechanism will not be imposed on the brake pull rods, each member 26 has an upstanding lug 57 Yformed on its upper sui-tace. Coiled springs 58 pivotally secured to the ltrame l0 ot the vehicle engage the apertured lugs 57 and resiliently support the weight of the equalizing mechanism, and at the same time permit of its movement during an operation ot the brake pull rods.

In the lorm illustrated the equalizing mechanism :is shown as adapted tor use with vehicles provided with a pair ot rock shafts through which the brakes are operated. In vehicle constructions Where the brake pull rods are directly attached to the brake mechanisms the members Q0, 2l, are arranged at an angle to each other, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, the nipple 60 beingV Ot' curved form in order to dispose the members 20, 2l, at the desired angle, the operi tion being exactly the same as the torni tirst described.

In Figs. t3, 7 and 8, I have illustrated other forms ot brake equalizer, the action of said modiied -terms being substantially the same as the torni tirst described. By the trie ot these niodiiied terms, it will be possible to apply the brake equalizer to cars of various makes, also enabling` an attachment ot' the same through trie rear sections ol the pull rods directly to the braking mechanism. l

The Vtorni illustrated in Fig. G is substantially the same as the form illustrated in Figs. l, 2 and 3, with-the exception that instead ot forming the cast metal members in two sections, it is formed in a singlecasting consisting ot a lower plate 70, and an upper plate Tl, bolted or otherwise secured together. The trent ends of the rear sections 38 ot the brake rods are pivotally connected to the outer ends ot a pair of transversely disposed leversl 72, 73, whose inner ends are in turn pivetally secured to bearings 74, 75, termed on the 'metal equalizing trame. Pivoted to levers/T2, T3, intermediate their ends are pull rods T6, 77, said rods passing through bores 78 termed in the upper plate 7l, their extreme ends being` turned down` wardly to torni hooks for engaging the end balls disposed in the raceway, as inthe form iirst described. It will be understood that the bores TS are slight-ly greater in diameter than the diameter ot the pull rods"v 76, 77, in order that no binding will occur on an operation ot the saine. By providing the construction above described it will be obvious that the rear sections of the brake pull rods may be directly connected to the! rear wheel brakes of` a vehicle, the rock shafts 46 illustrated in the tirst form being dispensed with.

The torni illustrated in Fig. 7 is also substantially the same as in the other forms described, with the exceptionV that instead ot employing hooked pull rods, push rod plungers 8O are employed. These plunge-rs are disposed in the ends ot the ball raceways ot the equalizer trame, and their outer ends are provided with small grooved Wheels 8l' mounted in suitable. bearings. These whe-els engage one ot the side edges of a pair of transversely disposed levers 82, 83, whose oppositely disposed inner ends are pivotally secured to bearings 84, 85, formed on the outer-'ends ot the inner flanges 86, of' the equalizer frame sections. The .outer tree ends ot these levers are vpivotally connected to the outer ends ot the rear brake rod sections as in the torni illustrated in Fig.. 6,

and the rear ends of the forward sections ot `ation oi. this form is exactly the same as the preceding forms, and the connection to the rcar 4brake mechanism can be made in the manner as describedjin the, form shown in Fig. 6. V

AS the leverage in the above forms (Figs. 6 and 7) is approximately one to live (l to 5), it Will be seen that-'an equalization o't the brake pull rods Will instantly occur on a depression of the brake pedal, thus effecting an equalization operation prior toa contact of the brake bands with their drums, thus causing a simultaneous action of the brakes to their drums. Y

From the above description it Will be apparent that the pull exerted on the brake A mechanisms during a braking operation will at all times 'be absolutely equal, due to tac 'fact that the balls are engaged by the hooked outer ends `of the rear brake pull rods, and that the length of the raceivay is great enough to permit of a movement oi' the balls therein on a: braking operation.

that I claim is:

l. In a. brake equalizing mechanism, in combination with a. power propelled vehicle provided with a pair of wheel brakes and a brake operating pedal, a pair of brake pull rods divided into front and rear sections, the rear sections being pivotally secured to the Wheel brake mechanisms and the front sections to the vehicle brake pedal7 a frame member provided with a ball race-- Way rigidly secured to the free 'ends of the liront pull rod sections7 a plurality of balls disposed in said raceway, the space occupied by the balls being less than the length of the. raceway, the free ends of the rear pull rod sections engaging the end balls in the raceivay, whereby on abraking operation the pull exerted by the rear rod sections on the Wheel brakes `ivill be equalized.

2. In a brake equalizing mechanism, in

combination with an autovehicle provided with a pair of Wheel brakes and a brake pedal, oic a pair of brake rods operatively connected to the vehicle wheel brakes and brake pedal, said rods being divided into liront and rear sections,` and an equalizing mechanism connecting the sections of each brake rod, the :front lbrake rod sections being rigidly secured to said equalizer and the rear brake rod sections being movably secured thereto, whereby on an operation of the brake rods the rear brake rod sections ywill exert an equal pull on the Wheel brakes.

3. In a. brake equalizing mechanism7 in combination with a vehicle fameY provided with Wheelrbrakes and a brake operating pedal, a'pair ot brake actuating rods connected to the Wheel brakes and to the operat-` ing pedal, said rods being divided into front and rear sect-ions, the free end 'of the 'rear rod sections lhaving hooked ends, a'

ALBERT' F. ANDERSON. 

